Israel's Right United, Right?

Israeli Politics is complicated

It seems that Shaked, Bennett, Peretz and Smotrich have done their pragmatic best to unite their political parties for the upcoming elections. And I'm even happier to see that Moshe Feiglin isn't part of the bloq.

I have no doubt that this hasn't been easy. The NRP is now headed by a political newbie who doesn't seem to have a clue, and there's bad blood between the parties. But for the good of the State of Israel they've figured out how to make a coalition of sorts and run as one party.

They haven't yet published the exact Knesset list, but I'm glad to see that Matan Kahana is included. I was very impressed by him when he spoke in Shiloh a few months ago.

I want a strong Right wing party to the Right of the Likud in the Knesset. Like a strong magnet, it should pull the Likud Rightwards.

Matan Kahana, who may be #7 on the "joint Right list"

Who's Going to Join Ayelet Shaked?

In a short well-choreographed press conference, Naftali Bennett handed over the reins of the New Right party to Ayelet Shaked. All the polls seem to show that she is much more popular than he is. And to confuse and confound the classic, and horrendously misleading and inaccurate political spectrum stereotypes, davka, this is the only political party competing in the upcoming elections led by a woman. For those who make a point to vote for women, the New Right has had the best percentage of women.

Ayelet Shaked and Naftali Bennett have invited other political parties to join them, in order not to waste votes.

At this point, I still don't know which party I'll support and vote for. I'm interested in your opinions.

There was a woman signing all the speeches, so the deaf could follow.

Every Time I'm About to Bite The Bullet and Support Likud, Bibi....

Every Time I'm About to Bite The Bullet and Support Likud, Bibi says something that turns my stomach:

NETANYAHU: ISRAEL ‘OPEN’ TO US PEACE PLAN

With the next Knesset Elections looming, I don't see any alternative. There isn't a political party I like at all. I feel totally burnt by New Right and can't stand the clowns in the NRP, whatever they now call themselves.

I'm politically orphaned and homeless.

For someone like me who has always taken my politics seriously and personally, I'm in a position that I really don't like. In addition, I have too good a memory about politics, so there isn't a politician I can trust. No doubt I'll be holding my nose and grimacing in the polling booth. Does anyone feel the same?

Politically "Homeless" Post Israeli Elections 2019

I've seen this term on the pages of a few facebook friends who, like me, had supported Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked's "The New Right" party. The New Right missed getting into the Knesset by a ridiculously small number of votes.

In response to those who suggest that we should "just return to the NRP/Jewish Home party," that's totally absurd and further proof that I've been orphaned yet again.

Why do they presume that I had a home in the Jewish Home?

I'm not of Bnai Akiva/NRP/Jewish Home. My Torah Judaism is a result of my years in NCSY, my Zionism is from Betar and it was coming to age during the 1967 Six Days War which drew me to live in Liberated Shiloh.

My Israeli political identification was more Yisrael Eldad than Menachem Begin, especially once Begin gave Egypt the Sinai and destroyed all of the Jewish communities that had been built there. As a result of the Camp David Accords, I aligned with the Techiya Party, but after about a decade, that, too failed to make the cut and enter the Knesset. Since then I find myself searching for a political party which I can trust ideologically.

One very important thing that keeps me from feeling "at home" in The Jewish Home is that I am ideologically opposed to parties based on religious observance. Here in the State of Israel we must look out for all Jews and citizens, what's best for the entire country, not just the "crocheted kippah" crowd.

The second recommended option for political affiliation is the Likud, but that, too isn't a good match for me. The Likud is too Centrist for my ideology, and I firmly believe that it is important that there be a strong Right party to pull the Likud Right.

The New Right was a good match for my requirements, and I like and respect some of the top people. I think there were two reasons they missed votes. One was in their control, and the other wasn't, though there's a connection.

1. Moshe Feiglin's mishmash/supermarket party with a conflicting/contradicting choice of ideologies, plus his past as a Right wing politician/wannabe attracted some voters who had been debating between him and New Right. Some of them refused to read the "fine print" of his platform and Knesset list; they voted for Feiglin.
2. I wasn't impressed by the campaign run by the New Right. I had been hoping that Caroline Glick would have been given free hand to produce and publicize a lot of Latma style campaign videos,which would have been more attractive and less strident. I have no doubt that the additional voters they would have attracted would easily have put the New Right into the Knesset.

Now I'm politically homeless, or more accurately orphaned. While my favorite politicians and political wannabes lick their wounds, recover, heal and plan for the future, I'll wait patiently. Really, there isn't much else for me to do. I won't be quiet. I'll blog and comment when I have something to say. That's what I do.

Gd willing Binyamin Netanyahu and his crew will build a ruling coalition that will pleasantly surprise me. Let's see if he really annexes all the yishuvim, which was his last minute campaign promise.

Gd willing next Knesset Elections results will be more to my liking.

Not enough people voted as I did, for נ The New Right
Knesset Elections 2019 Israeli Elections

Bibi, How Dumb Do You Think We are?

Generally just before Knesset elections, Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu, #1 in Likud, starts his:

"Gevalt!! If you don't vote Likud I won't be able to form a ruling coalition."

And when the votes are counted, it's clear that Likud has leached votes from the Right wing parties. The sum total of potential MKs amenable to being in his coalition are the same as the polls had been predicting, but more are from the Likud. The "smaller" parties are even "smaller."

This time the "smaller" parties aka potential coalition partners are making a point of saying that since they plan on being in the coalition, one shouldn't fear that voting for them would make it harder for Likud to form the next government. So, now, especially since there are at least three political parties self-labeled as Right, now the Likud has come up with a new line:

Jerusalem Post Israel Elections NETANYAHU VOWS TO ANNEX SETTLEMENTS IN WEST BANK IF HE WINS ELECTION

Duh!? Bibi has had a decade to do it. Why hasn't he annexed our Land? It sounds like he's suddenly reading from the New Right platform, which calls for Israeli Sovereignty in Area C. Honestly, ideally I would love to undo the PA-Palestinian Authority, but it's not really feasible at this time. Anyone who says it can be done, is lying.

We know that despite Bibi's promises and smooth talking, he'll just continue as he has, unless he's more dependent on his coalition partners. The only way to see progress in annexing/declaring Israeli sovereignty is  to have a large, strong New Right in the government and Knesset. Honest Right MKs will pull Bibi/Likud Rightward. That's how politics works in Israel. This isn't Kansas; it's not even New Jersey.

Shiloh, Israel

Yamin HeChadash, New Right MK List

The Yamin HeChadash, New Right has assembled an amazing group of people running in their list to be MKs, members of Knesset.

I've been following Israeli politics for half a century, and it's clear to me that we must vote נ in the upcoming elections.

The State of Israel Needs Experienced Fearless Leaders

One of the reasons I'm voting for HaYamin HeChadash, The New Right is because I want them to have enough seats in the Knesset so that the Likud will have to give Naftali Bennett the Defense Ministry. The worst thing for the State of Israel would be for Netanyahu to continue holding multiple ministries, including Defense, and even worse than that would be for him to invite the Four-Headed Monster Party aka Blue and White to join a massive Center coalition and crown one of their failed wimpy IDF heads with the Defense Ministry.

I hope you know enough Hebrew to get the message from this campaign video by The New Right. The message is that it was only due to Bennett's pressure on Benny Gantz, then IDF Chief of Staff, and Bogie Ya'alon, then Defense Minister, that the army put together an operative plan to destroy the terrorist tunnels in the south. The clip quotes actual security cabinet meetings to prove it.



An important theme of the New Right campaign is to give them your vote so that Ayelet Shaked can continue rehabilitating the Israeli Judicial System and Naftali Bennett can take charge of Security/Defense.

Vote נ

Just Over a Week Before 5779, 2019 Knesset Elections, and We're on Verge of War

Life here is Israel is rather surreal. From what I've heard and know of history, Israeli culture and living here for almost half a century, that's "normal." There's just over a week before the 5779, 2019 Knesset Elections, and I notice less election hysteria than in the past. Maybe it's because the Israeli news has been so anti-Bibi that I feel that nothing has changed, or is it because of the EU backed Arab terror, riots, incendiary devices and rockets fired from Gaza for the past year, which has the country on the verge of war.

As tiny as the State of Israel is, and by American standards, it's about the size of New Jersey, we don't see and feel the terror/violence in most of the country. A few decades ago, Israelis in the north complained that most of the State of Israel was oblivious to the rockets, terror/violence they suffered. So, it's very deja vu for me. Israelis who had been alive during the War of Independence would tell similar stories, how despite the war all around, the cafés, coffee shops in Tel Aviv were always full of revelers.

Here in Shiloh, we haven't been directly affected by the Gazan attacks/terror, but other waves of terror, the intifadas were nearby, and then it was quiet in both the north and south.

Life on the border with Gaza - things people may not know (but should) Facebook group

Shiloh is northeast of Ramalla, which isn't in the "red zone."

As for the 5779, 2019 Knesset Elections, when I speak to neighbors and friends, we all seem to want the same thing from our MKs, but we differ on which political party will be the best choice.

Last night I even posted on facebook :

This may shock some people, but I don't mind if Likud is in the opposition for a bit. It'll go more Right.

Most responders/comments didn't agree with me. They just don't get it. Being in the opposition would be a good shock/cleanser for the Likud. It would remind them that the Israeli voter wants a real Right party in power, not a bunch of Centrist wimps. This scenario would happen if their prospective truly Right political parties, like the Shaked-Bennett New Right lose votes to the fake Right, like Feiglin and Kahalon.

And concerning the terror from Gaza, the IDF has called up a lot of reservists who are waiting for a decision. IMHO, we should have bombed them to bits last year when it started. Any terrorist or agent provocateur, regardless of age should have been eliminated. We're being attacked. That's war, and there's no need to act like these are toddlers having a bissell tantrum.

In less than two weeks, maybe there will be some election results. Or will the 5779, 2019 Knesset Elections be suddenly postponed because of war? Tune in ...

The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש in Shiloh

Last night there was a parlour meeting with The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש in Shiloh. Yes, of course I attended.

The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש in Shiloh. MK candidates Matan Kahana and veteran MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli

It was in Hebrew, which is no problem for me. Davka, most of the attendees were English speakers, but we've all been in Israel for many years.

Matan Kahana and MK Shuli Moalem-Refaeli introduced themselves to us, and their backgrounds are extremely impressive. Kahane, whom I had known nothing about until last night, spent years in the IDF and Israeli Air Force, also managing to get law degrees and other professional training. I'd really like to see him using his obvious intelligence in the Knesset. Moalem-Refaeli, a nurse, is more well known and has taken well to her Knesset work.

Ayelet Shaked and Naftali Bennett have certainly attracted and assembled an extremely talented, diverse and experienced team on their New Right Knesset List.

The parts of the New Right's Campaign Platform Kahana and Moalem-Refaeli stressed in Shiloh were, obviously, those that affects us. They spoke about Ribonut, the importance of declaring Israeli Sovereignty here and Jewish building and rights in "Area C."

No beating around the bush here, I fully support The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש and plan on voting for that party. I certainly hope that many other Israelis agree with me. As I see the Israeli political system, it's the Right versus Left blocs one must think of when choosing a party. For instance, if you want a strong Right coalition, then there must be a large political party on the Right to pull the Centrist Likud Rightwards. I'll never forget hearing Binyamin Netanyahu state, at the First International Bloggers Convention state that although is political beliefs are firmly on the Right, he thinks that a Prime Minister should be in the Center of the political spectrum. That was a true eye-opener for me. And that's why I don't vote Likud.

The NRP aka Jewish Home has its source as the Israeli Center. No matter what it's calling itself today, the mafia that pulls the strings historically prides itself on being able to join any coalition. That's why Shaked and Bennett had to leave after they rehabilitated the veteran party, which was pretty much dead when they were recruited to take over.

I will only vote for a party whose leaders are unabashedly on the Right of the Israeli political spectrum. The New Right, HaYamin HeChadash, הימין החדש

Gantz Desperately Continues Bibi Bashing

Hat-tip for link to article Tel-Chai Nation

To make it clear, I'm not voting Likud, but...

Benny Gantz is certainly proving that he's not leadership material. He sounds like an immature desperate teenage bully. He has nothing to offer the State of Israel other than empty inaccurate slogans, lies, jealousy and hatred.

Benny Gantz slams Netanyahu: Meir Kahane would be proud
By GIL HOFFMAN
03/12/2019
Gantz said he and the other leaders of Blue and White were the true successors of Menachem Begin, as well as former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Menachem Begin, the epitome of honor and old-fashioned niceties, would be horrified at Gantz's claims.

Gantz is continuing to prove the bankruptcy of his Blue and White "party platform." Israeli voters may be looking for new leadership, but they're quickly discovering that Benny Gantz doesn't fit the bill. Blue and White is top heavy with IDF generals, but politics isn't the same as the IDF, and too many voters are angry with those generals for a variety of reasons.

Remember that the Israeli political/election system requires that a party leader succeed in negotiating a working coalition to become Prime Minister. I'll repeat here that "politics isn't the same as the IDF." Whatever may have worked for Gantz and his fellow Blue and White retired generals in the past will probably backfire in coalition negotiations.

Even if Bibi Netanyahu has to bow out because of the indictment, there are highly qualified and experienced Likud politicians who can take the helm. Just like American Football has been compared to chess, so is coalition politics, and that means that successful coalition politics is like American Football. In football, the quarterback gets tactical instructions from the head coach, and if the QB can't play, there must be players to replace him, and then the other positions must reshuffle to win.

In this year's Super Bowl and the Israel Bowl*, the teams with the stronger defense won. 

Odds are that Likud will form the next government, whether Bibi Netanyahu is Prime Minister or Yuli Edelstein, who is #2 on the list.

That's why I'm voting New Right in the upcoming Israeli elections 2019. The Israeli Government needs a strong intelligent defense in it. An offensive offense is bad news for the team.

*Jerusalem "Big Blue" Lions won its third consecutive championship by surprising their opponents with some crucial position changes.

Kushner "Peace" sic Deal- Dumb and Dangerous

If Jared Kushner wants to play Peacemaker, he should keep himself busy with Lego and Tinker Toys. His self-proclaimed "Peace deal" or "deal of the century" will only fill more cemeteries.

We all know that you can't impose a "deal." This isn't post-World War Two, when the Allied Forces led by the United States defeated the Nazis and the Japanese and then imposed a "new order" on them.

Israel is a peaceful, vibrant, miraculously successful modern country which is being literally terrorized by Arabs, some rather recent to the area, a contradiction to the popular legends and lies being propagated. These terrorists are being backed and encouraged by foreign agitators, agent provocateurs, to do whatever they can to terrorize and destabilize the State of Israel.

No "deal," regardless how "creative" and "detailed" it may be can rectify the present situation.

Rumor is that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Bibi Netanyahu has been informed of the details of this "deal" and just requested that Trump tell his son-in-law to wait until after the upcoming Israeli elections. If this is true, it's bad news x2, times two or doubly bad. It looks like it's time to go into post-Bibi rule.

Is there anyone in Likud who will be better for the security and sovereignty of the State of Israel? Bibi's successor also must be capable of negotiating a ruling coalition, or we'll find ourselves suffering through continuous successful elections.

To pull Netanyahu in the Right direction, we need a strong showing for the New Right, the Naftali Bennett, Ayelet Shaked and Caroline Glick party.

The State of Israel needs leaders, not followers. We need a government that has no problem telling Kushner and Trump what they should do with their "deal."

Leadership Bankruptcy in NRP aka Jewish Home Party

One of the most veteran of Israeli political parties, those that predate the Establishment of the State of Israel, is NRP (Mafdal) aka Jewish Home Party. It's traditionally Center Left, religious, but not too extreme, Zionist and always in the ruling coalition.

In the early days of the State of Israel, their aim was to establish and strengthen the Mamlachti Dati, State Religious School system and add Jewish Tradition wherever possible to Israeli life and law. In many ways they seemed closer to mainstream Labor Party, because both had kibbutzim and moshavim to protect and coddle.

As time went on, and especially after Israel's totally miraculous victory in the 1967 Six Days War, the NRP began to change. Its first generation raised in the State of Israel became the most enthusiastic in Israeli society for settling the Land liberated in the war and Israel's increased security and prosperity enabled more and deeper Torah learning.

Children and grandchildren of old NRP leadership and graduates of the Mamlachti Dati, State Religious Schools began looking to emulate the heavy Torah learning of the chareidim, even establishing full-time Kollel programs and chareidi-like elementary and high schools for boys, where the graduates wouldn't be qualified to pass Bagrut tests for a high school diploma, which is necessary for university and certification in most vocational studies.

At the same time, in the political sphere, they've established numerous other political parties, more religious and Right ideology then the venerable NRP aka Jewish Home Party.

That's why  unlike Likud, descended from prestate Revisionist Herut, the veteran Labor Party and the chareidi parties, there's no internal competition or primaries for the leadership role in the NRP aka Jewish Home Party. There's a leadership bankruptcy; its graduates have moved on and away.

Every few years a new "leader" is recruited from various other occupations or parties. The NRP backroom mafia controls the party and all the property that has been in the "family" for probably close to a hundred years.

The words behind NRP are "national religious party." Honestly I, like Naftali Bennett and many others, some who vote Likud, are ideologically against a party that labels itself as dati, religious.

I believe that we all, no matter how many and how carefully we keep Gd's commandments, must work together to govern and steer the State of Israel. I look for a political party with vision and commitment to the Torah, Land of Israel and the entire Jewish People.

Gd willing, I'll be voting for the New Right, although I honestly don't like the name Bennett and Shaked chose. And it's reassuring to me that Caroline Glick has chosen to run for Knesset in the New Right. Gd willing, we'll see her in the Knesset soon.

Israel Elections 2019, 5779 Latest Polls

Two interesting polls are out on Jeremy's Knesset Insider, both hot off the press, meaning that they include both the New Right of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked and Labor running on its own, sans Tzipi Livni.

The shocker for many is that Bennett and Shaked are correct in their guess that they had brought most votes to the veteran NRP (National Religious Party,) now called Jewish Home. The polls show that without them, Jewish Home may not even get into the Knesset. The NRP is doing worse than Livni, which even has me shocked.  And I'm pretty sure that the polls were done before Caroline Glick publicly joined the New Right. She should bring votes from Likud and NRP.

I'm just going to copy/paste from Jeremy's Knesset Insider and let you take a good look. What do you think? Of, course, we still have a while to go before the actual elections, but so far it looks interesting. Honestly, I love this stuff.

PS Please remember that these are just polls; they aren't election results.

Kan Channel Poll: Likud 28, Israel Resilience 14, Yesh Atid 13, Joint List 12, HaYamin HeHadash 9

TNS conducted a poll of 543 people for the Kan Channel that was broadcast on Jan 2 2018.

Current Knesset seats in [brackets]

28 [30] Likud
14 [-–] Israel Resilience (Gantz)
13 [11] Yesh Atid
12 [13] The Joint (Arab) List
09 [03] Hayamin Hehadash (Bennett & Shaked)
07 [18] Labor
07 [10] Kulanu
07 [06] Yahadut Hatorah/UTJ
06 [07] Shas
06 [05] Meretz
06 [01] Gesher (Orly Levy)
05 [05] Yisrael Beitenu
00 [06] Livni Party (close to the threshold)
00 [05] Bayit Yehudi (far from the threshold)
00 [–-] Telem (Yaalon), Zehut (Feiglin), Yachad (Eli Yishai), Eretz Chadasha (Eldad Yaniv), Green Leaf, Ofek Chadash (as other) under 3.25% threshold

62 [66] Current Right-Religious Coalition+Y.B.
58 [54] Current Center-Left-Arab Opposition+Gantz-Y.B.

Additional Questions:

Who is more suited for Prime Minister?

40% Netanyahu, 30% Gantz, 30% Don’t know

Who is more suited for Prime Minister?

40% Netanyahu, 36% Don’t know, 24% Lapid

******

Channel 13 Poll: Likud 31, Israel Resilience 12, Joint List 12, Yesh Atid 10, Labor 8

Midgam conducted a poll for Channel 13 that was broadcast on Jan 2 2018.

Current Knesset seats in [brackets]

31 [30] Likud
12 [13] The Joint (Arab) List
12 [-–] Israel Resilience (Gantz)
10 [11] Yesh Atid
08 [18] Labor
07 [06] Yahadut Hatorah/UTJ
06 [03] Hayamin Hehadash (Bennett & Shaked)
05 [10] Kulanu
05 [07] Shas
05 [06] Livni Party
05 [05] Meretz
05 [05] Yisrael Beitenu
05 [01] Gesher (Orly Levy)
04 [05] Bayit Yehudi
00 [–] (1.8% of vote) Yachad (Eli Yishai)
00 [–-] (1.3% of vote) Telem (Yaalon)
00 [–] (1% of vote) Eretz Chadasha (Eldad Yaniv)
00 [–] (0.4% of vote) Zehut (Feiglin)
00 [–] Green Leaf and Ofek Chadash (as other) under 3.25% threshold

63 [66] Current Right-Religious Coalition+Y.B.
57 [54] Current Center-Left-Arab Opposition+Gantz-Y.B.

Scenario Poll: Gantz + Livni

Current Knesset seats in [brackets]

31 [30] Likud
15 [06] Israel Resilience (Gantz) + Livni
12 [13] The Joint (Arab) List
11 [11] Yesh Atid
08 [18] Labor
07 [06] Yahadut Hatorah/UTJ
06 [03] Hayamin Hehadash (Bennett & Shaked)
05 [10] Kulanu
05 [07] Shas
05 [05] Meretz
05 [05] Yisrael Beitenu
05 [01] Gesher (Orly Levy)
04 [05] Bayit Yehudi
00 [–] (1.8% of vote) Yachad (Eli Yishai)
00 [–-] (1.3% of vote) Telem (Yaalon)
00 [–] (1% of vote) Eretz Chadasha (Eldad Yaniv)
00 [–] (0.4% of vote) Zehut (Feiglin)
00 [–] Green Leaf and Ofek Chadash (as other) under 3.25% threshold

63 [66] Current Right-Religious Coalition+Y.B.
56 [54] Current Center-Left-Arab Opposition+Gantz-Y.B.

*Note: Scenario poll total is 119 seats, not 120.

Additional Questions:

Who is more suited for Prime Minister?

37% Don’t know, 35% Netanyahu, 28% Gantz

Who is more suited for Prime Minister?

55% Don’t know, 38% Netanyahu, 17% Lapid

The Knesset can be seen in the background. Remember that Israeli Elections are for Knesset seats, not for Prime Minister.